Are you satisfied with your prayer life?

“What’s with that guy anyway? He’s like clockwork. He annoys me that he’s so consistent. I’ve watched him and I’m sure he prays at least three times every day to his God.” Someone else chimes in: “Yeah – he doesn’t even pray to our gods but yet he is walking off with all the plumb appointments from the king. He’s getting promoted like crazy. Lucky dog!”  A third person agrees: “The guy is squeaky clean. He makes me sick. Even when we did the audit on him – but we couldn’t even find a bone of an old skeleton in his closet – no taint of scandal. Not a thing!”

The bureaucrats in the Kingdom were jealous! Finally they concocted a scheme to trap him. They flattered the King with their plan. No one in the kingdom was to pray to any god other than to the King himself for a 30 day period. Even a one time violation would result in death by paws and jaws. The King not knowing what they were up to signed the decree.

When Daniel knew that the document had been signed,

he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem .

He got down on his knees three times a day and

prayed and gave thanks before his God,

as he had done previously.

Daniel 6:10

The jealous officials spied on Daniel and sure enough, they caught him in the act – praying to his God! You can almost see them rubbing their hands with wicked glee. Off they ran to the King and the rest is history.

What are your prayer habits like? If someone was spying on you would they catch you at it? Down through history, anyone who ever amounted to anything for God had a very real and vibrant prayer life. How did Daniel overcome so many hurdles in his life? By prayer! How did Daniel keep an excellent spirit when circumstances were so adverse? By prayer! How did Daniel rise in influence when he was in captivity? By prayer! How did he keep from messing up and from soiling his clean record? By prayer! How did he have so much insight into dreams and other matters of great significance? By prayer! How did he survive as an administrator under the reign of several kings? By prayer! How did he emerge from the den of lions without a scratch or a bruise or a skin puncture? By prayer!

Daniel was committed to praying three times every day. He had established the PRACTICE of prayer. He had a favorite nook, a private PLACE to pray. And a certain POSTURE he assumed – on his knees when he prayed and he had PINPOINTED three specific times of the day when he would drop everything he was doing in order to pray. In other words his successful prayer life was not a sloppy haphazard, hit or miss activity. He had a structured organized prayer life that helped in maintaining his godly habit.

Do you have a place in your home where you pray? A certain chair that will cry out to you if you neglect to pray: “Over here – you didn’t kneel this morning and place your elbows on my seat. I never felt a tear drop fall this morning on my fabric.” Do you have a time on the clock when you have deliberately chosen to pray every day? Is there a clock that says to you when you glance at it: “You’re 27 minutes late praying this morning – are going to try to get along without God today?”

As 2006 comes to an end, what are you going to do about your communications with the Lord? Do you just continue on with the vague frustration of ineffective praying week after week or would you like to make some changes? What specific commitments to an enriched prayer life are you willing to make on your knees with the Lord today? Are you prepared to write it down? It’s time to improve our communications with the Lord. It’s time to make some changes.

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With all the busyness of the holidays – don’t forget to enjoy the Lord today.

Warmly in Christ,

Peter Ramsay

Is This All There Is To Life? Read Ron Mills' story at: www.heaven4sure.com